Perhaps a gallon of gas would do
Child's Play x2 | August 13In my household I do the grocery shopping. This means that I have to decide what kinds of food to get our 14-month-old twins. Without exception, if I have a choice between organic and non-organic food, I tend to choose the organic.
Now, before the twins were born, I never would have purchased the organic stuff. It just wasn’t that important and the extra cost was also a consideration. But since I have become resonsible for nourishing my children, I don’t want to learn years from now that the pesticides used in our foods cause massive hairiness or makes you walk with a limp. I’d never forgive myself if my kids suddenly turned into Quasimoto.
But at what point should I stop worrying? Well, I almost reached that moment this week when I stopped by the grocery store only to pick up whole-milk for the kids. I grabbed two gallons of the organic whole milk and headed to the check-out counter.
You know the price of milk is particularly high when the checkout clerk does a double-take when reading my receipt. “Wow, milk is expensive!” she says. At $13.18, I cringe. “Yeah, the organic stuff gets pretty high,” I reply. “I’ll say.” She says. “Like twice as expensive as regular milk!”
I smiled and muttered to her as I grab the bags of milk, “Maybe the rugrats should drink the steroid-enhanced stuff like their old man.”
What are your thoughts? Organic or not?
As a chemically sensitive mother who has had some violent reactions to pesticide residue on conventional foods, I say go organic. If it’s not available organic, we almost never buy it– my anaphylactic reactions are that serious. The difference I felt in my body when we went 100% organic three years ago was amazing. Short of financial destitution, we won’t be going back to conventional!
There’s also a great short article in _Natural Home_ magazine this month talking about how organic food isn’t expensive– it’s conventional food that is artificially cheap due to government subsidies. We’ve gotten brainwashed into believing that conventional food prices are natural when they are actually so cheap due to government subsidies. I’m sure you can find similar articles elsewhere on the web!
I switched us all to organic milk when I read about nine-year-old girls starting menstruation. NINE. Experts believe it’s because of growth hormones in food and dairy.
I just borrowed this great book from the library that discusses why it’s a good thing to go organic and local with food, and also talks about what Elizabeth was saying. It also has incredible recipes. “The Ethical Gourmet” by Jay Weinstein.
I’ve made changes to our grocery shopping in order to buy the organics and the no trans-fat products and the no hydrogenated oil products. It’s important to us.
Check out the archives from Consumer Reports, about a year or so ago they had a report on Organic vs non organic and on what foods it really made a difference. If I remember correctly though, dairy was one of the ones they said to go organic on.
i agree with the organic route. the hormones are a turn-off and I like the fact that organic milk lasts way longer than regular milk and is healthier. i wonder if it depends on where you live with regards to the price because that price is crazy.
i do think it helps to look at the organic vs. non organic list because I’m sure some things just don’t make a difference if they’re organic.
I go organic on milk all the time. I know it is better and I don’t really want my kids to have that limp either. Veggies and fruit I only do on occasion. Sorry, i am just not that commited. On the meat….I try to do it at least half the time. We eat out a lot, so the milk may really be the only thing I am doing well for them. Oh and I do it with all the dairy products. My kids are sad, but they almost rarely get Go-gurts.
I *love* the idea of organic. But since we already have made a commitment to buy healthy (non-processed foods, lots of fruits and veggies in their natural state, whole-grain), our grocery bill has skyrocketed even without the organic stuff. We’re a one-income family and can’t afford the cost.
When the costs come down, and I bet they will eventually when more suppliers enter the market, we’ll start buying organic.
What the organic industry doesn’t tell you is that because they don’t use pesticides and other treatments, their yield is much lower … though I don’t have numbers in front of me … organic means more wasted food that isn’t edible. This is one of the reasons for the higher cost of organic food. It also means that the land is used less effeciently … as world population rises, and fertile land becomes more scarce, this will be more of an issue. As with many things - moderation is key. Using a reasonable level of pesticedes, fertilizers, and other treatments is responsible farming. And I’m comfortable with the industry’s current decisions about what’s reasonable.
Gasoline or Milk……I need to make a choice.
Our milk (the steroid laden stuff) is already double the price in most of the rest of the country. If the organic is twice that (and it probably is), we’re in deep trouble.
As for your question, we try to buy most things organic when there’s a clear choice. We really should switch the eggs and chicken (though which would come first?), but some stuff is just too hard to find.
The expense for Organic keeps me away. Also how can you really really know that it is Organic?
Go with organic! Especially with milk. The crap they pound into those cows to produce more milk is pretty nasty.
If it says it’s certified Organic, then it is. The process that farmers have to go through to get certified is long and arduous, and the certifications are not bunk. I’m pregnant at the moment, and my husband and I are lucky enough to live in the SF Bay Area, where organic food is plentiful and easy to find. We keep costs down by visiting the Alemany farmer’s market once a week for our organic produce. The argument that I’ve heard most, particularly from my parents’ generation is, “Well, I survived it OK. It can’t be all that bad.” The truth is, however, that our children are two generations away from them - two more generations’ time of pesticide use and genetic modifications of our food. I don’t know for sure, but my gut tells me that the increase in various health issues in our society has not only to do with pollution, but also with the foods we eat.
We go with organic milk and local produce when we can. I too, wonder about the label “organic” due to the recent government shift in the regulation of that label.
It’s not always as good as it seems. Some companies hold themselves to a higher standard then the government and therefore you can trust them. But in my opinion, it’s few and far between.
You do NOT have to necessarily go with Organic Milk (although that is the best choice). As long as the milk is rBGH/rBST free (hormone free). Many dairies (and more every day) are shunning the growth hormones so those milks are somewhat cheaper.
Organic is expensive to certify (which is HOW you KNOW it is Organic to answer a couple of Commenters questions).
But also, for the sake of the children, think of this way. A gallon of milk is 128 oz. or to think of it another way 16 - 8 oz. glasses. Let’s assume $3 a gallon for regular milk and $6 for Organic. That is .18 per glass. Are you children not worth an additional .18 cents per glass to keep unecessary chemicals out of their systems?
To find the various suppliers that provide Hormone free milk, as well as local farms across the country you can check the Eat Well Guide at http://www.eatwell.org.
You may also wish to take a look at The Meatrix ( http://www.themeatrix.com ) , The Meatrix 2: Revolting ( http://www.themeatrix2.com ) and finally Store Wars ( http://www.storewars.org ). You may very well never look at food the same way again.
I don’t care much about buying organic fruits and veggies much (perhaps because of something I read 10+ years ago about diseases left on organic produce, which in retrospect is probably not a real concern). But given all the (mostly unnecessary) antibiotics and growth hormones they give to cows and the research which is starting to tie those hormones and stuff to early menstruation in girls, I switched my daughter to organic milk.
I first really noticed how important the ‘organic’ label is in reference to cows when we first had some Coleman (no antibiotic, etc.) beef. I’m not one who notices fine distinctions between food tastes, but even I could tell how much better it tasted. So that meant it must have been a big difference.
Our family has been on organic milk for a little over eight months now. The only reason? Last year my three year old kep having bouts of ear infections with EVERY cold he had - and he had a lot of ‘em! A little birdie told us about organic milk being best at keeping them at bay so we decided to give it a try. Either that or we were just one more infection shy of considering ear tubes! So…call it coincidence, or just good timing - whatever. But since then, no ear infections!
I’ll admit, each time I compare prices I curse those damned organic labels. I can’t believe we shell out almost seven buckaroos for one (ONE!) gallon of milk. But it’s for the better of my child so when I think of it in those terms, it’s well worth it.
As for going completely organic - we’re still on the fence. We have friends who do nothing but. I just think being sensible about what you’re eating is better than being a complete nazi about your food choices.
Hi, we’re believers in organic, but we can’t always afford it. We do insist on organic milk and think it especially important for girls. You might want to check out Costco, if you have one nearby. Their organic milk is MUCH better than the regular grocery store organic, and it’s about half the price. They seem to be developing quite a few organic products and the quality is always great and the price unbeatable in our town.
For me it depends on the item and my budget. If I keep up to date on the latest “Do not Eat” list, then I am comfortable with chewing whatever pesticides the local market is giving me. A parent can only do such much in protecting their children and you will just have to find a comfortable balance. Good luck
You can find cheaper organic fruits and veggies at the local farmer’s market. I like the pesticide free stuff, even if it isn’t organic.
I can’t drink milk but my sister swears the organic stuff is much better.
Here are some price comparisons for one gallon of whole milk:
Trader Joe’s: $5,99
Costco: $5,49
Safeway O: $6.29
Others are more expensive in my experience, and the best taste award goes to TJ’s, be it whole milk or 1% for the grown ups.
Organic fruit and veggies in season are indeed cheaper at the local farmer’s market (Alameda here) - there is no need to buy organic apples from Chile in Spring and other stuff; that kind of perverts the whole concept of organic. One should also be concerned about eating local. It’s cheaper anyway, be it organic or not.
We don’t do organic. I try to buy the freshest stuff possible in produce, but milk??? The cost of organic foods just is too prohibitive for us. One of my good friends has a Ph.D in chemistry and is a college professor, and his kids eat fresh and healthy, organic when it is affordable, but he doesn’t insist on it because he figures it really doesn’t matter as much as the marketing agencies would have you believe. And in our area we’ve had a couple of outbreaks of E. coli when people were drinking raw milk or organic milk (from local companies), so no way. My kids have done very well on regular milk and 2% for the two-year old, with no negative side effects.
But congratulations, Matthew - you’ve brought the lurkers and the regular commentors out with a vengeance on this one. :)
they put steroids in cows milk ?
Deanna,
An outbreak of E. coli is from improperly handled milk and has NOTHING to do with whether the milk is organic or not. Milk from cows that are injected with hormones and fed a steady diet of antibiotics are just as likely to be contaminated as organic milk (or simply rBGH free) if it is improperly handled.
cp,
They sure do. Since the early 90’s when it was first approved by the FDA (and the head of the FDA just happen to be a former Monsanto employee at the time), recombinant Bovine Growth Hormones (rBGH) have been given to (many) cows to help increase milk production.
i think the idea of organic is great, i just cant personally afford it. Besides kids everywhere else are drinking and eating the non-organic stuff and MOST turn out just fine. So, if it makes you feel better and you can afford $13 for 2 gallons of Milk, then go for it. if you are like me, you buy the store brand gallon of milk for under $3 a pop. ;)
I actually had a live friend, vs. the imaginary one’s that my husband calls you guys, who’s daughter started developing into a woman at 9. The Dr. recommended switching dairy and meat products to the non-steroid kind. This switch stopped the change.
Around my neck of the woods to get that kind of milk means organic which is crazy expensive or milk from a local chain whose milk may come from cows who ate food grown with pesticides, but costs barely more and sometimes cheaper than the non-organic stuff found in most grocery store chains.
The cheap side of me won out, and I buy from our local chain rather than organic. Also, I do buy freshly baked bread from a local bakery and shop at a local farmer’s market that’s an extra 10 minutes further to get fresh veggies and fruit (which as my hubby complains, probably costs me more in gas than if I bought the organic at the regular store).
Who knows if any of this shopping around is worth it. But I like the taste of all of these products better, and that’s good enough for me.
Costco! We get 3 half gallons of 1% organic milk for around 7 dollars.
Organic, as far as milk goes, means that the cows eat organic feed (which is very costly). Strictly speaking, I don’t think it mentions bovine growth hormones and antibiotics. There are many local dairies that do not use hormones and antibiotics but can not be certified organic because of the feed they use. We buy milk fom a small local dairy that doesn’t unnecessarily medicate the cows or the milk, but it is not certified organic milk. We’re okay with that.
Check out this article on Organic Milk - so timely :)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14458802/?GT1=8404